WINNIPEG – Close to 100 gamers made their way home with tired eyes and sore thumbs Sunday afternoon.
They were playing video games for 40 hours straight to raise money for the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba. The weekend event took place around North America with teams participating from around the world.
“It’s amazing feeling to know that I’m out here being able to do something that I love to do for fun that’s helping kids get better,” said Graeme Fortlage, event organizer of Team ARAIG, which stands for as real as it gets.
Many people on the team had personal health experiences that fueled their passion to continue gaming and get involved. The motivation for Team ARAIG team was to support their hero child who was diagnosed with brain tumors a few years ago and passed away in 2008.
“To dispel the rumours and pre-conceived notions of gamers being lazy and not being able to do anything good for anybody else,” said Fortlage. “Everyone loves the idea.”
This is the first year that the event was held in Winnipeg and over $3,000 was raised. The fundraising team turned out to be the biggest one in Manitoba.
The money helps fund research that is aimed at finding cures in the province. It also helps support families who are not from Winnipeg but are being treated in the city.
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